Pyzotero

What it does

When your agent uses it

• Tasks that involve Citation management

Example prompts

• “Use the pyzotero skill to manage Zotero reference libraries using the pyzotero Python client: retrieves, creates, updates, and deletes items…”
• “/pyzotero”

Requirements

• Python 3
• A credential in ZOTERO_API_KEY
• Compatibility (from SKILL.md): Requires Python 3.10+ and pyzotero 1.15.2. Remote access needs network access; private reads and writes need a Zotero API key. Local reads require Zotero 7+ with local API enabled; local writes require Zotero 10+ and separate local authorization.
• Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Read, Write, Edit, Bash

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 92ace75. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

• Tool permissions

  Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:

  • Read
  • Write
  • Edit
  • Bash

  From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

• Runs code

  Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

  • uv

  From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

• Network

  Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

  • zotero.org
  • pyzotero.readthedocs.io
  • arxiv.org
  • pypi.org
  • doi.org
  • export.arxiv.org

  From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

• Credentials

  Names these keys or tokens, usually read from environment variables:

  • ZOTERO_API_KEY

  From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

• Compatibility

  Requires Python 3.10+ and pyzotero 1.15.2. Remote access needs network access; private reads and writes need a Zotero API key. Local reads require Zotero 7+ with local API enabled; local writes require Zotero 10+ and separate local authorization.

  From compatibility in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

Context cost

Pyzotero loads about 2k tokens when it runs, and up to ~16k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 111 tokens; SKILL.md has 533 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it

~111

When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches

~2k

With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them

~16k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

• NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:40

  edentials in environment variables or a `.env` file:

• NotePre-approves every shell command (allowed-tools: Bash)SKILL.md

  allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Bash

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from K-Dense-AI/scientific-agent-skills at commit 92ace75, republished under its MIT licence (© K-Dense-AI). 533 words, ~2,006 tokens.

name

pyzotero

description

Manages Zotero reference libraries using the pyzotero Python client: retrieves, creates, updates, and deletes items, collections, tags, and attachments via the Zotero Web API v3 or local API. Applies when working with Zotero libraries programmatically, managing bibliographic references, exporting citations, searching library contents, uploading PDF attachments, or building research automation workflows that integrate with Zotero.

allowed-tools

Read, Write, Edit, Bash

compatibility

Requires Python 3.10+ and pyzotero 1.15.2. Remote access needs network access; private reads and writes need a Zotero API key. Local reads require Zotero 7+ with local API enabled; local writes require Zotero 10+ and separate local authorization.

license

MIT License

metadata.version

1.4

metadata.last-reviewed

2026-09-30

metadata.upstream-version

1.15.2

metadata.skill-author

K-Dense Inc.

ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID=your_user_id
ZOTERO_API_KEY=your_api_key
ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE=user  # or "group"

uv add "pyzotero==1.15.2"    # Reviewed Web API client
uv add "pyzotero[cli]==1.15.2"  # + local CLI
uv add "pyzotero[mcp]==1.15.2"  # + MCP server

import os
from pyzotero import Zotero

zot = Zotero(
    library_id=os.environ['ZOTERO_LIBRARY_ID'],
    library_type=os.environ.get('ZOTERO_LIBRARY_TYPE', 'user'),
    api_key=os.environ['ZOTERO_API_KEY'],
)

# Retrieve top-level items (returns 100 by default)
items = zot.top(limit=10)
for item in items:
    print(item['data'].get('title', ''), item['data']['itemType'])

# Search by keyword
results = zot.items(q='machine learning', limit=20)

# Retrieve all items (use everything() for complete results)
all_items = zot.everything(zot.items())

item = zot.item('ITEMKEY')
item['data']['title'] = 'New Title'
zot.update_item(item)

template = zot.item_template('journalArticle')
template['title'] = 'My Paper'
template['creators'] = [{'creatorType': 'author', 'firstName': 'Jane', 'lastName': 'Doe'}]
result = zot.create_items([template])
if result.get('failed'):
    raise RuntimeError(f"Item creation failed: {result['failed']}")

bibtex = zot.top(format='bibtex', limit=50)
# bibtex is a bibtexparser BibDatabase object
print(bibtex.entries)

zot = Zotero(library_id='0', library_type='user', local=True)
items = zot.items()

© K-Dense-AI, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 14 other files (references) in skills/pyzotero of K-Dense-AI/scientific-agent-skills.

• SKILL.md
• references/authentication.md
• references/cli.md
• references/collections.md
• references/error-handling.md
• references/exports.md
• references/files-attachments.md
• references/full-text.md
• references/mcp.md
• references/pagination.md
• references/read-api.md
• references/saved-searches.md
• references/search-params.md
• references/tags.md
• references/write-api.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 92ace75

Used in 1 other repository

We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in K-Dense-AI/scientific-agent-skills, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

• lingxling/awesome-skills-cnclaude-scientific-skills/skills/pyzotero